i know brockley as well, its a suburb in comparison to what goes on in the shadows of Deptford. Do you still frequent the area or have you moved on?
maybe i am making too much of it but i can only give the advice i believe you know. Your's is obviously just as relevant, if not more, than mine
Brockley past New Cross as in Shardloes there's still gangs hanging around looking to cause shit enough to put me on edge. Not lived there since I was a teen (and don't want to broadcast so many details on here) but have some relatives near and around, which probably puts me more on edge punting there than the gangs

As I said, Deptford Bridge is nearly all new build flats for Canary Wharf types.
That said, truth be told, Deptford is no worse than my usual treks through Hackney. I've seen hipsters in New Cross reading from tablets while walking at 1am on back streets so it can't be that rough.